Vos to ride MTB races in 2013, wants to determine if 2016 Olympic gold is feasible

She’s been world champion on road, track and in cyclo cross and now Marianne Vos wants to see how far she can go on the mountain bike. The Olympic road race champion is interested in aiming for an off-road medal in Rio 2016 and in order to work towards that and to see if it is feasible, she has decided to ride some mountain bike events in the upcoming season.

Vos’ focus will remain centred on road races but the ambitious Dutchwoman wants to also give herself new challenges in the sport and to provide further signs of how versatile an athlete she is.

However she rules out competing in the MTB world championships in 2013. “I've thought about it, but I think in this case combining it with the world road race championships is not to be,” she told Wielerland magazine.

In September, Vos won her second road world title in Valkenburg and will head to the 2013 worlds in Florence as defending champion. Repeating her win will be a priority, and she will want the best possible build-up to the race.

However while she will miss out on the MTB worlds, she intends taking the chance to ride other events. “I see 2013 as a learning year and one where I can see what my options are. Afterwards we will take stock and see if there are opportunities to grow into a top international level, so that I possibly also be on the MTB at the Olympic Games in Rio.

“I have ambitions in this area but it is also about the pleasure I have as a lover of this branch of cycling.”

The 25 year old had a dominant 2012 season, winning the world road and cyclo-cross titles, taking the Olympic road race, dominating the women’s World Cup, and also placing first in the Ronde van Drenthe, the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the GP de Plouay and the BrainWash Ladies Tour.

In addition to that, she took five stages, the overall classification and the points jersey in the women’s Giro d’Italia.

Her climbing and technical abilities mean that on paper at least, she could challenge for the top honours in mountain bike racing. She has won the world cyclo-cross title five times in all.